The King Has Many Wives, Nine Of Whom Only Are Reckoned Queens, And Are
All His Sisters Or Near Relations; The Rest Being The Daughters Of
Noblemen.
The chief wife is called Mazarira, or the mother of the
Portuguese, who frequently make presents to her, as she solicits their
affairs with the king, and he sends no messengers to them but
accompanied by some of her servants.
The second queen is called
Inahanda, who solicits for the Moors. The others Nabuiza,
Nemangore, Nizingoapangi, Navembo, Nemongoro, Nessani, and
Necarunda. Every one of these lives apart in as great state as the
king, having certain revenues and districts appointed for their
expenses. When any of these die, another is appointed to her place and
name, and they have all the power of rewards and punishments, as well as
the king. Sometimes he goes to them, and, at other times they come to
him; all of them having many female attendants, whom the king makes use
of when he thinks proper.
The principal nation of Monomotapa is called the Moearangi, and of
which the emperor is a native. They are by no means warlike, and their
only weapons are bows, arrows, and javelins. In regard to religion, they
acknowledge one only God, and believe in a devil or evil spirit, called
Muzuco, but they have no idols. They believe that their deceased kings
go to heaven, and invoke these under the appellation of Musimos, as
the saints are invoked by the catholics. Having no letters, their only
knowledge of past events is preserved by tradition.
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